Tom Bihn sent us a couple of their bags to review, and also one to give away to one of our readers. While we haven’t yet completed reviewing the bags (they will be put to the test in a couple of weeks at E3), I can say that people have stopped me to ask where I got the bag on the streets. We were able to sit down with Tom to discuss a few aspects of the company and what makes their bags unique. The questions are actually from you guys, as we received a bunch of email when we were running the bag giveaway.

What are a few things about a Tom Bihn bag that sets it apart from another?

All of our bags are completely American made. We are very proud of that. They are very streamlined, with appealing aesthetics with highly functional designs. Looking at them, you will also see that we use bold colors in our materials. One of the nicer things, though, is that the bags are extremely durable. We had one customer actually complain to us that his bag, after seven years, has yet to wear itself out!

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In case you missed it, Apple dropped Tiger on us the other day, and the reviews have been astounding. One thing that always amuses me is the fact that Apple fanatics are so passionate about their beloved systems and software, that they are willing to wait in line for hours - in the rain - just so that they could purchase the latest and greatest OS from Apple. It was damp and cold, but the media was out in full force, and to Apple fans it was a very bright day indeed. We have a couple more photos from outside the Seattle Apple Store after the jump.

I’ve been wanting a TiVo for sometime, and while searching the interweb I found a great article about how to build a complete DIY media PC. It may look daunting, but the satisfaction you will earn from building a highly scalable DVR solution, which can also stream music/video and run emulated game software is unmatched by anything TiVo, ReplayTV, or your local cable company can give you.

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Microsoft and Samsung are working on a new hybrid hard drive that will use 1Gbit NAND flash memory as a buffer. The goal here is to take part of the load off the spinning drive and to lower loading times and boot times. Longhorn will fully support this technology once it ships. However, the question remains about how the two companies plan on addressing the flash memory’s erasure endurance. Knowing Microsoft, they will give us an answer next year along with a big marketing technique. If this comes into fruition, we have heard that bootup times can be sped up to mere seconds.

I have been messing around with the new iChat AV messaging client for a couple of hours, and it is impressive. AOL, and many of the other IM client suppliers in fact, has seen their AIM client become antiquated. They are currently at work on Tritan, their new messaging client which plans to improve upon the experience currently enjoyed by AIM users of today. Moving ahead into the 21st century, AOL plans to add more than just textual improvements. Look for audio, video, and file transfers to be vastly improved and simplified. Also look for a “spam catcher” that will put any messages received from those not on your Buddy List into a specified tab for your review.

While I’m not the biggest poker player in the world, I do think this is the start of something that can prove to be very successful. At E3, Yahoo! Games is going to show their new poker game which will allow people accessing the service either from a PC or a mobile phone to play against each other. If Yahoo! decides to develop this technology, which makes perfect sense for them to do, we can expect to see even more of a blurring of the line between PC gaming and mobile gaming.

“Our goal at Yahoo! Games is to provide a dynamic, thriving online community that unites and connects gamers of all ages and tastes,” said Geoff Graber, general manager of Yahoo! Games. “We’re excited to lead the industry in building the best multiplayer games and deliver a multiplayer mobile game, Yahoo! Poker, which lets people play friends anytime, anywhere and on any device.”

We have seen the images of the actual console, and now we have what we think will end up being the official logo. The logo looks similar to the current Xbox graphic, replacing the large green “X” with the green “ring of light” circles.

I am thinking that, while only 5% of computers sold are Mac’s, today’s Tiger release is going to be a big deal. Despite the efforts of some to see that it didn’t happen, Apple is going to be launching Tiger in a big way. Be sure to hit your local Apple Store to be a part of the festivities.

I have come to learn that Peter Molyneux’s team over at Lionhead Studios can tend to me more flash than substance. I remember buying the original Black and White years ago at launch because of all that I had read about it for years prior to that. As it turned out, the game was just okay. Now, a trailer for the sequel has hit the Internet, and while it looks good, to me it seems a bit too close to the original. Take a look and decide for yourself.

If your iPod seems to be running out of steam at the most inopportune moments, then the Griffin TuneJuice might be your kind of thing. Simply put, it is a backup battery for dockable iPod/iPod mini units which is powered by a 9 volt battery. I can’t even name the last time that I actually purchased a 9 volt battery, but maybe that’s just me. The TuneJuice will provide another 8 hours of life to a partially charged iPod, but only 4 hours if the iPod is completely drained. You can pick one up for $20 bucks.